


City Boy

by Akumeoi



Series: All Covered In Gold [9]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe, Falling In Love, Fisherman Noctis Lucis Caelum, Fishing, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Sex, M/M, Meet-Cute, Photographer Prompto Argentum
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-11
Updated: 2019-02-05
Packaged: 2019-10-08 09:26:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17383967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akumeoi/pseuds/Akumeoi
Summary: Prompto gets sick of taking photos in the city and rents a bunk in an isolated fishing cabin to try and find new inspiration. The fisherman who lives there is not what he expected.





	1. Chapter 1

Prompto was sick of the skyline, he was sick of long-exposure “river of light” shots of cars at intersections, he was sick of grungy aesthetic shots of cracked pavement with a single hapless weed blooming among blackened gum splats, and most of all he was sick of the city, and of taking photos in it. Every one of them turned out the same. And the people! The snobby hipster artists at the gallery showings, the snobby rich gallery owners, and the grumpy and disillusioned people passing by on the sidewalk who made terrible portrait subjects. Prompto hadn’t taken a single good photo since last December at the Winter Festival. 

But photography was his life, and so he had left the city in search of greener pastures – or ponds, so to speak. He had gone to the deep countryside, the total antithesis of Insomnia, and rented a bunk in a fishing cabin a few miles from the nearest tiny town. Surely here he could find some inspiration. 

All that had seemed like a good idea – up until today, the first morning he’d awoken in the narrow bed in the tiny fishing cabin, and suddenly realised that _holy shit_ , he was stuck in the middle of nowhere for at least the next two weeks. He couldn’t even go to town unless the fisherman he was staying with deigned to lend him a car (or mud-splattered pick-up, as the case might be).

Prompto got out of bed, telling himself that he was here for a reason. He just had to get out there and start taking photos and then everything would feel better, right?

He went outside and started trying to find angles to take photos of the cabin (it had rustic charm) and the surrounding vegetation, although his heart wasn’t totally in it. Still, he followed the dirt path into the forest, snapping shots along the way. Soon, he came to the bank of a large lake, where a person who he presumed was the fisherman who had let him into the cabin last night sat on a wooden dock, casting his line into the water. 

The fisherman had on a wide-brimmed hat and sensible rubber boots that dangled off the edge of the dock, and he had an absolutely enormous tacklebox. He seemed to be very prepared. Prompto stood there watching him for a moment, before the fisherman became aware of his presence and glanced over his shoulder at him. 

To Prompto’s surprise, the fisherman was a young man – way, way younger than he’d thought. He looked to be about in his 20s, with dark hair and light eyes, and a relaxed but guarded countenance. It was so surprising that Prompto immediately wanted to take a photo of him. He walked out onto the dock, greeting the fisherman with a “Hey, are you Noctis?”

“Yeah?” Noctis replied, squinting at him in apparent confusion. True, Prompto had seen him last night, but he hadn’t gotten a really good look at him in the dark as he’d been led to the cabin from the road. 

“I’m Prompto. Nice to meet you. I’m a photographer,” Prompto said, as Noctis hadn’t stopped looking confused yet. 

Noctis shrugged. “Huh. Usually people come here to fish,” he said, turning back to his line. Prompto wondered what kind of cabin guests he usually got, and guessed they were all 40 something year old men who just wanted to hook a few fish for fun. 

“Hey, uh...” Prompto said, taking a deep breath, “Can I take your picture?”

“And do what with it?”

“Uh... nothing. Well, if it turns out really well I might put it in an art gallery. But it’s not going on any billboards or anything, and not without telling you, I promise,” Prompto said, clutching his camera with both hands. 

“Okay,” Noctis said. He turned back towards Prompto and plastered his face with a large, obviously fake smile. It was so terrible looking, especially with Noctis’s neck twisted at a weird angle with his hat half-shading his face, that Prompto didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. But fortunately, his serious photographer instincts took over. Always photograph the subject on the subject’s terms. He didn’t say anything as he lifted his camera to his face and fiddled with the settings for a moment before snapping the picture. As soon as he had done so, Noctis’s face relaxed. Quickly, Prompto grabbed another shot that he could pretend had been an accident, then lowered the camera from his face with a sheepish grin. 

“Thanks,” he said. Noctis looked up at him for a moment more, as if he were thinking something along the lines of _Did it turn out good?_ But then he shrugged and turned back to his fishing line.

“Do you mind if I take some more pictures of you later?” Prompto said. “You don’t have to pose for it or anything. Just do whatever you’re doing and I’ll snap a shot and try not to bother you.”

“Like candids?” Noctis said doubtfully. Prompto was pleased he even knew what a candid was.

“Yeah, just like that,” he said. 

Noctis gave a small, genuine smile that would’ve had Prompto reaching for his camera with delight if he had been able to see Noctis’s face. 

“Sure,” Noctis said. “Just don’t disturb the fish.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written as a gift for my dearest E (beta of Perchance To Wake), who specifically requested this premise, with quintessential country boy Noct. Her comment after reading it: "thats some lakehouse sex on a dead bear rug shit." Indeed...


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> E really wanted a sequel to the first part of this fic, so I promised her two more bits. This is the first. She's dubbed it "wholesome". It's kinda rushed, but I was trying to keep these chapters under 1K. This one is 1.4K. RIP

“So I walked around the lake yesterday,” Prompto said, squatting down on the dock beside Noctis and starting to focus an artsy texture shot of the water’s surface. 

“Mmmm,” said Noctis.

“What’s that big house on the hill overlooking the lake on the other side? Seems pretty isolated.” Prompto’s camera shutter clicked several times before he lowered the camera and sat back on his heels.

“It’s my family’s house,” Noctis said.

“Woah!” Prompto said, turning to look at his companion, who was, as ever, facing the lake with a fishing pole in hand, broad-brimmed hat shading his face. “How come you’re not living there?”

“Too fancy for me. The living room has a fireplace and a bearskin rug. I like it better out here,” Noctis said. Prompto’s eyes fairly popped out of his head as he tried to imagine Noctis in his sensible rubber boots galumphing about in a fashionably rustic living room with a rug made out of a real dead bear.

“Might be good for photos, though. I could take you sometime,” Noctis offered. That was the most thoughtful thing he’d said to Prompto in the entire past week. 

“Thanks,” Prompto said. “I’d like that.”

****

That afternoon, Noctis put the fishing gear away early. Prompto saw him putting the fish he’d caught into a cooler and internally groaned. He was so sick of eating fish. They’d had it for dinner every single night of the week, and the only vegetables Prompto had had were from a bag in the freezer, left there by someone called Ignis. Lunchtime always consisted of sandwiches made of cold-cuts, and breakfast was even less worth describing. Prompto suspected the only reason Noctis hadn’t developed scurvy yet was because Ignis had also left him some vitamin capsules. 

“What fish is it tonight?” Prompto sighed, as they walked back to the cabin together. 

“You seem a little tired of it,” Noctis said, frowning. “It’s Saturday - would you like to come to the town cookout with me?”

“Hell yeah, I would!” was out of Prompto’s mouth before he could stop it. The corner of Noctis’s mouth twitched up in a smile at Prompto’s enthusiasm.

When they arrived back at the cabin, they took turns showering and getting re-dressed in slightly nicer t-shirts than the ones they’d been wearing before. Noctis ditched his wellie boots for a pair of sturdy leather ones and changed his big sunhat for a baseball cap, while Prompto accessorised with his bandanna. Then, Prompto helped Noctis take the extra fish out of the fridge and put it in the cooler to take to the barbecue. They loaded the cooler into the back of Noctis’s pickup and headed for town together. 

Prompto was surprised at the amount of people who had gathered on the town green. Looked like the neighbours had come in from the surrounding countryside to eat and gossip with the townsfolk. There were young families with small children playing around picnic blankets, as well as 20somethings like Noctis and Prompto standing around with beers in their hands. Two large grills stood beside long tables covered in potluck dishes ranging from potato salad to iced brownies. 

“It’s a weekly event, but this is the first one of the summer,” Noctis commented as they pulled up and parked. After getting out of the car, Noctis took the cooler of fish over to a man tending to one of the grills. Prompto trailed behind him. Almost immediately, several people noticed Noctis’s appearance and wound their way through the crowd to greet them.

The first of Noctis’s friends who Prompto met was a pair of two men whose appearances contrasted almost comically. The first was a man who looked visually out of place in a crisp button-down shirt, yet carried himself as if he’d attended hundreds of these barbecues. The second was an absolute giant of a man who wasn’t wearing a shirt, had a huge tattoo, and looked overall like he wrestled bears with his bare hands for fun.

“Woah!” Prompto exclaimed, his gaze travelling up and up the man’s body before finally reaching his face. “You are a very impressive specimen… uh, sir.” 

The man snorted, and stuck out his hand for Prompto shake. “Gladiolus Amicitia, but that’s Gladio to you, small fry,” he said. 

“And I am Ignis Scientia,” his companion said. Prompto immediately recognised the name.

“Thank you so much for the vegetables,” Prompto said, shaking Ignis’s hand fervently, earning a laugh and a shake of Ignis’s head, as well as a promise to leave them another bag for the upcoming week.

Prompto was charmed by how readily Noctis’s friends seemed to accept him, despite the fact that he was so obviously an outsider to this town. He had half expected small town folks to be hostile to him by default, but Gladio and Ignis had been welcoming and relaxed. Maybe Noctis’s seal of approval was good enough for them. 

Gladio and Ignis excused themselves to get some dinner, and Noctis and Prompto were about to follow when a pretty, young, blonde woman nigh radiating cheerful energy appeared and gave Noctis a hug. 

“Cindy, this is Prompto. Prompto, Cindy,” Noctis introduced them. “Prompto is the one renting my cabin at the moment.”

“Noct! You’ve never invited one of your cabin guests to the barbecue before,” Cindy said, looking Prompto over appraisingly. Prompto immediately turned to give Noctis a curious glance.

“Well, Prompto is a friend,” Noctis said bashfully, adjusting his cap.

“Must be a mighty special boy if he managed his way into your heart after only a few days,” Cindy said. 

“He’s _quiet_ and _polite_ ,” Noctis said pointedly, but Cindy only giggled. Though he didn’t say anything to Noctis, Prompto was insanely curious. What did Cindy mean, Prompto had gotten into Noctis’s heart? But maybe Prompto was reading too much into this, and Cindy was just teasing.

After the introductions were over, Prompto and Noctis both got heaping plates - and ahh, a blessed hamburger and vegetable skewers with no fish in sight. The atmosphere was lively, and so different to a party in the city, that Prompto’s fingers itched for his camera. He and Noctis ate together companionably, and then Prompto abandoned his plate and took off into the crowd.

Back in Insomnia, Prompto had done a special line of artful selfies, taken mostly with passing strangers. This barbecue was the perfect place to add to his collection. He went around introducing himself to the townspeople and taking photos with their permission. 

Eventually, he returned to Noctis’s side.

“Are you gonna take a photo with me too?” Noctis said, a little petulantly. 

Prompto wondered if he was feeling left out - but how could he? Prompto had been taking photos of him all week. Nevertheless, Prompto had no intention of passing up the opportunity. “Of course,” he said, and was about to prepare his camera, when he remembered what had happened the last time he had warned Noctis before taking a photo of him. 

“Uh… you know, you don’t _have_ to smile for this photo,” Prompto tried to say tactfully.

“I don’t?” Noctis said, considering.

“No, just - do whatever feels natural. I know it’s unusual not to smile for selfies and photos, but I’m an art photographer,” Prompto said, crossing his fingers behind his back. 

Noctis shrugged. “Okay,” he said. “I’m ready, then.” He looked at the camera, his expression as neutral as it always was. Prompto heaved a mental sigh of relief.

“Alright!” Prompto said, throwing his arm around Noctis and pulling him close, then lifting the camera with the other arm and snapping a few pictures.

When he turned the camera around to look at the screen, he saw: himself, in the foreground, smiling wide and cheesy but real. A background of green grass and {checkered picnic blanket} in the corner. And Noctis, who had purposefully angled his body away from the camera, like he was trying to escape out the back of the frame. Noctis, who had accepted Prompto’s arm around him and, in spite of his shyness, was giving a very faint but genuine smile. That tiny, adorable smile just about melted Prompto’s heart like an ice cream in the summer heat.

“Can I see?” Noctis said.

“Sure you can, buddy!” Prompto said cheerfully, trying to cover up the fluttering in his chest. “You’re the star of the show!”


	3. Chapter 3

A few days later, Noctis took Prompto to his family’s lake house as promised.

As Noctis threw open the solid front door, Prompto noticed two things immediately: the house was huge, and it clearly was expensive. In fact, it was so elegantly crafted and decorated that Prompto suspected it was some kind of historical manor. In the entryway, Noctis hung up his hat and left his boots by the door. As soon as those two items of clothing were removed, his whole posture seemed to change. As they made their way into the front parlour, Prompto noticed two things about Noctis: he was fond of the house and pleased to be here, but neither was he perfectly at ease. The way he was both in his element and out of it had Prompto absolutely itching for his camera.

“Can I take some pictures?” Prompto said hopefully. 

“Well, yeah. That’s what I invited you for,” Noctis said, with a slightly confused expression.

“Thanks,” Prompto said, flashing him a smile even as he removed the lens cap from his camera and started playing with the settings. 

He began by taking pictures of the art objects and architectural detailing in each room, cataloguing the landscape and getting a feel for the interior. Whichever ancestors of Noctis’s had lived here had had a taste for dark fabrics and gold trimming, making the house feel dark and ponderously elegant. 

“My ancestors were members of the royal family,” Noctis admitted sheepishly. “Distant enough that they didn’t get guillotined in the revolution, but close enough to inherit this house when everyone _else_ got guillotined.”

Prompto pictured a king galumphing about in Noctis’s lake with Noctis’s boots and hat, and laughed. “I should be taking your portrait here on your estate, Your Majesty,” he joked.

“Sure, but… why do you like taking pictures of me so much?” Noctis said.

Prompto paused, wondering how much detail to answer that question with. “Um… well, you’re a really interesting subject. You’re this twenty year old guy who just spends all his time by himself, but you have good friends and you don’t need to rent out your cabin like you do. You’re full of contradictions, and I want to see if I can bring all of them out at once so other people can see you the same way that I do. And you just have this… aura. You have like, this subtle elegance that I can’t really explain.” He didn’t add that Noctis only had it _sometimes_ , when he wasn’t actively trying to look cool.

Noctis considered this for a moment. Then he nodded. “Thanks. Where do you want me to stand?” he asked, and Prompto set about composing the next shot with Noctis in it.

Partway through the portrait session, Noctis said, “You know, I have a better outfit than this.”

“Oh?” said Prompto, surmising that Noctis left most of his possessions here instead of storing them all in the fishing shack. Noctis nodded, excusing himself and going upstairs while Prompto wandered around the ground floor. He came upon this amazing room which had nearly full-length windows with a view out onto the lake. There was a path leading from the deck outside the windows down to a small dock, where a motorboat was moored, with a huge expanse of blue lake beyond that. The room also contained a fireplace which obviously hadn’t been used since the winter, and there as Noctis had promised was a bearskin rug with the head of the bear still attached. 

Prompto was examining the bear’s ferocious teeth when the door opened and Noctis appeared, attired in a three piece suit.

“It was the fanciest thing I had,” Noctis said, giving a lopsided smile. The suit fitted him well, but his posture was even more awkward than it had been before. Still, Prompto was confident that after two weeks of knowing him, he could get Noctis to relax around him. He had Noctis lean against the mantelpiece and told him a few jokes to make him smile. When he had sufficiently thawed out, Prompto reposed Noctis several more times.

The energy between them was good, and Prompto got quieter and quieter as he became absorbed in his work. He wanted to do something with that ridiculous bearskin rug, although he wasn’t sure what. It would have made more sense for Noctis to lounge on it in his simple t-shirt and cargo pants, but Prompto told himself to pretend it was a high fashion shoot and made Noctis lie down on the rug in his suit. 

Noctis’s gaze was amazingly intense as he looked back at the camera with a neutral expression. Prompto felt like he was being reeled in by Noctis’s sharp blue eyes, getting closer and closer to his recumbent model until Noctis’s face was huge in the viewfinder of his camera. The shutter clicked, and Noctis flinched, so close was the lens to his face. Suddenly, Prompto became aware of just how close he had gotten, and froze, uncertain of what to do.

In the silence, Noctis reached out and covered the fingers Prompto had curled around the side of his camera with one warm hand. Then, he slowly lowered the camera away from Prompto’s face. Prompto instinctively set the camera down at arm’s length away, then put down his second knee so that he was kneeling over Noctis, with nothing more between them. Noctis’s pupils were like wide black moons with only a sliver of blue iris around them.

“Are you gonna kiss me, city boy?” Noctis’s voice was level and calm, but Prompto could see the anxiety in those blue eyes. 

“More than that… if you want me to,” Prompto admitted quietly, even as his heart beat faster. It was hardly the first time he’d propositioned somebody, but… Noctis was special. He was important to Prompto. And Prompto wanted to make sure to treat him like a gentleman. 

At Prompto’s words, Noctis’s breath hitched and his eyelashes fluttered. Then, he nodded his consent. A faint smile ghosted Prompto’s face as he leaned in to kiss him, close-mouthed and soft. 

When Noctis closed his eyes Prompto kissed him again, the same as before. Noctis curled his hands around the open hems of Prompto’s vest and parted his lips. When next they kissed, it was hot and electric. Noctis pulled Prompto towards him and they sank down onto the soft fur rug together.

By the time the sun had started to set over the lake and the sky was bathed in orange light, Prompto had gotten Noctis entirely out of that awkward three piece suit. As shy and patient as Noctis could be in the day-to-day, he had hardly been shy - or patient - in this. Adorably needy and unhesitatingly vocal - yet another one of his beautiful contradictions. Their bodies were cooling now as they lay in each other’s arms and watched the sky change together.

Two more things Prompto now knew - one, he had been hooked just as easily as any of Noctis’s fish, and two… Noctis seemed to be similarly taken with him. Prompto couldn’t go back to Insomnia now, even though he had more than enough photos for another gallery showing. There was no way he was leaving this beautiful small village, and this beautiful country boy, in any kind of hurry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Despite me having added 2 parts to the original drabble (the first chapter), E warns me that people are STILL going to want to know what happens after this, so I will tell you: They have a happy summer filled with rainbows, sunshine, fish, and introducing Noctis to various sex positions. And photos. Can't forget those. Tasteful nudes, even. 
> 
> Comments always welcome!


End file.
